Talking To Your Child About Thier Disability – Share Your Story

– From the perspective of our members of our SAN Network

Every goal listed in a child’s IEP should address a state standard for education.This workshop introduces parents and teachers to the standards-based IEP goals and reviews ideas for addressing state standards in the IEP. It also reviews the goal of academic standards, relevant standards in Pennsylvania, and offers steps for ensuring IEP alignment with those standards

Planning an Inclusive and Collaborative Secondary Transition

This workshop helps parents of children with disabilities understand the process of transition to post-school life. It includes goals for transition, people and organizations to work with, suggested timelines, and additional resources.

Speaking for System Change: How to Share Your Story

This workshop helps parents of children with disabilities to share their families’ stories and special education experiences with with others. This workshop helps parents think about and redefine their personal experiences and provides a framework for the start-to-finish process of putting a story together. The ultimate goal of the workshop is to develop a presentation to share with parents and educators, but it can also be useful simply for sharing informal stories at IEP meetings, parent group meetings, etc. The workshop includes examples of effective stories, tips on preparation and delivery, and suggestions for practice. Sharing information is the foundation of learning and growth. By learning how to effectively share experiences with others, parents instantly create opportunities to advocate for inclusive education and the rights of children with disabilities.

[Based on a curriculum created by the Center for Innovation in Special Education in Missouri in 2004 and adapted into the Parents as Presenters Workshop by Pennsylvania Natural Allies (PA Department of Public Welfare) in 2005.] Preview the handouts included in this module::

Aligning IEP Goals with State Standards for Education

Every goal listed in a child’s IEP should address a state standard for education.This workshop introduces parents and teachers to the standards-based IEP goals and reviews ideas for addressing state standards in the IEP. It also reviews the goal of academic standards, relevant standards in Pennsylvania, and offers steps for ensuring IEP alignment with those standards.

Special Education Law: Building Blocks and Basics

Our Building Blocks and Basics workshop is an overview of the vast amount of history, regulation, and current practice surrounding special education on both a federal and state level. It reviews the most important information about special education law for parents of children with disabilities, educators, and education students. The module also focuses on how federal and state law support inclusive education and collaboration between parents, teachers, and administrators. [Note: This module was created in 2008.]